The University of St. Thomas men's soccer team finished its first weekend of play with a 3-0 victory over Howard Payne University and is now 2-0 on the season. It took a while for St. Thomas to settle in, but once it did, its explosive offense and talented young roster were on display for the UST fans.

St. Thomas controlled possession in the first half, registering 8 shots on goal compared to the Yellowjackets single SOG. However, the Celts faced strong resistance in the final third from Howard Payne, who held the home side scoreless for 68 minutes before the Celts found the back of the net and started rolling.

In the second half, UST head coach Ernesto Ramirez made some substitutions and found its rhythm. The breakthrough came in the 69th minute after a beautiful combination between freshmen Aldo Hernandez and Jacob Reyes. It was Hernandez who finished the moment off the assist from Reyes, putting the Celts up 1-0. Five minutes later, in the 74th minute, freshman Hani Ahmadi capitalized on a perfect pass from senior Angel Ramirez, resulting in a 2-0 lead. St. Thomas capped off their scoring spree in the 84th minute with Daniel Espinoza adding to the score 3-0 and sealing the victory.

Match Notes

· St. Thomas outshot Howard Payne 20-3.

· The Celts had 16 SOGs compared to HPU's 3.

· UST is 2-0 to start the season for the second year in a row.

· It was the first goal of their UST career for both Aldo Hernandez and Hani Ahmadi.

· The Celts have not given up a goal this year.

Up Next

The Celts return to action on Friday, September 13th, when they head to Conway, Arkansas, for their first road match of the season. They will face future 2025 SCAC opponent Hendrix College. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

For updates, visit www.ustcelts.com or follow @USTathletics and @ustmsoccer on Instagram.